The request is made on behalf of a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company that wishes to formulate an antimicrobial agent into its liquid product formulations and impregnante the liquid product container with antimicrobials to prevent microbial growth on the physical surface.

According to the company, sterile liquids packaged in multi-use volumes are unlikely to remain sterile once opened and used repeatedly by a consumer. Continued use often results in microbial growth, which the company would like to reduce.

Applicable technologies should be effective against Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria, fungi (yeasts, mold). The technologies should also function in the presence of an aqueous buffered solution or emulsion at pH 6-8. Technologies submitted should be safe in pharmaceutical, medical or food applications; and be chemically stable at RT for 36 months. Companies who submit technologies should offer strong intellectual property protection and/or exclusivity with the pharmaceutical company.

The antimicrobial liquid technology specifically should: be soluble in water, should maintain a constant antimicrobial activity over its shelf life, should not include silver or silver-based compounds and should pass criteria in both the United States Pharmacopoeia and the European Pharmacopoeia.

The pharmaceutical company is not interested in agents already in human therapeutic use as anti-infectives such as antibiotics and anti-fungals. Also not of interest are agents already proposed for human therapeutic use and materials that pose human safety, toxicity or health risks.

Technologies must be submitted by Dec. 6, 2010. For more information on the materials needed, please visit NineSigma's website.